decisions, decisions

Well it seems that this week is full of lots of decisions and considerations...some of them not so important and some probably more important. Nothing major family wise, thankfully, but there have been lots of things to get done around the house and updates of sorts that need to be done. Mike is hard at work on finishing the patio portion of the overhaul of the backyard. So that was one decision that while not life changing, took a bit of time, just how big did we want to go, what kind of pavers to use. I think Mike's choice looks very nice and his hard work is paying off and I know when the patio and deck are both done we will enjoy it tremendiously. We are still waiting on the permit for the deck to get started on that. It takes 5 - 10 business days so its still a bit early to have heard, but hopefully soon as I know he wants to get to started on that. The goal is to have it done by the 10th since we are having Noah's second birthday party at the house and will be grilling out.

The other big decision as far as the house goes is windows...not again a life changing decision but still feels pretty major! We are getting estimates this week from various places and will probably decide by the end of the week who to go with and what type of windows to get. I think we'll stick with sliders for the living room and basement and go with double hung throughout the rest of the house. The patio door will also need replaced, but may wait until the end of the summer - it's not in quite as bad shape as the windows. At least hopefully we'll see some savings in heating and cooling with new windows =)

And of course leave it to the two nerds to not even be able to buy a simple birthday present for the 2 year old (almost - this is scary, Noah is almost 2, really I find it hard to believe at times). We looked and looked at train tables, and decided that we would make one, or rather Mike would make one that would be more sturdy and durable than the ones we could buy at a much more affordable price (of course that doesn't take into account the router accident and sore fingers!). So we have that part of the present decided and done but want to get Noah some tracks for his birthday. We kept talking about wood versuses plastic tracks...there are advantages to both and disadvantages to both but ultimately decided on the plastic tracks as they seem to be able to stay snapped together better and we hope will be less frustrating for Noah. So that was decided, we were looking at various track options, for plastic it seemed Thomas would be the way to go, until we started reading various reviews online at lots of sites. Seems that the buildings that come with them aren't getting good reviews and are frustrating for little ones. So I think after a little more research and reading, we're changing our minds again and opting for Fisher Price's GeoTrax. This was what many reviewers suggested to buy and the reviews for the GeoTrax itself were all very good. It is also nice that there are lots of various things that go with this system that aren't expensive and will make nice stocking stuffers and other small gifts throughout the year without spending $20 on one train (GeoTrax have some that are only $5 for a vechile...that is much better to me)

So are we really complete nerds? Is it sad that every decision we make from windows to train sets we tend to want to research and read reviews or instead can we simply say that we are just informed consumers who want to spend wisely? I think I like the informed consumer approach, I was a nerd too long in high school =)

Oh - and Josh is getting much more tolerant of tummy time! He is also getting much more purposeful in his arm and hand movements, reaching and grabbing at toys and bringing them toward himself. He is especially liking to chew on things lately (I think we may have teeth in a few weeks). He is also throwing toys, not on purpose, but Noah thinks it's great when he does. Last night, Josh even rolled over while Mike was playing with him on the floor. He also is starting to get his feet up and under his butt and trying to scoot. Soon I think we'll have a baby who wants to play and be part of the action - as Mike says, the fun stage is almost here (he says the 0 - 6 month age is not a lot of fun...they eat and sleep and poop - nothing fun).